Whether you're a music consumer, an aspiring playlist curator, a blog aiming to add an extra touch to its curation, or an artist, curating your own playlist(s) can offer significant benefits. Below is a list – to act as a guide – of the best practices for playlist curation and growth.
Establish a theme, style, or mood
Start by defining the overall vibe or theme you want your playlist to convey. Making playlists to make money, rather than basing them on music that you’re genuinely interested in curating, not only leads to them performing worse but also causes disingenuous applications to be routinely declined by the SubmitHub staff. Choose something you genuinely like, love, understand, and can work with.
If you're the sporty type, consider a workout session playlist. Or think about a playlist for a romantic evening, or a nostalgic throwback, a playlist great for writing poetry...
The more specific you are, the better – there are hundreds of "best pop" or “TikTok” playlists, but by having a creative theme, your playlist will be more interesting and attractive to the right kinds of listeners. For instance, something like "pop that makes your plants happier" is more endearing to followers and will lead to more interesting curation if done properly (and with love).
Good to know: It is possible for a playlist to be successful with a name or description catered to big SEO phrases, but it is highly unlikely – and is often unstable in terms of long-term growth. There are over 4 billion playlists on Spotify, and most SEO names were already taken long ago. So, instead of chasing an SEO phrase that may not be successful, be yourself and be original. SEO be damned!
Mix it up
Avoid the monotony of having the same artist in consecutive spots or very similar songs from artists of the same level. While consistency is crucial (a playlist with both folk and hardcore metal might be hard to sell), don't hesitate to mix in both larger and smaller artists, a slightly faster song followed by a slower one, and so on. Listen to your playlist to gauge the flow and adjust accordingly. A varied yet consistent playlist can be more engaging for listeners.
Our tip is to start strong and end strong: Begin with a few of, in your opinion, most beloved, impactful songs to capture attention. Mix in smaller artists afterward, and conclude with, once again, a memorable finale featuring some strong, lovable tunes.
Good to know: If you're a musician planning to include your own songs in the playlist, you can certainly do so. However, ensure they fit seamlessly and don't overdo it. Including 1 to 4 of your own songs (depending on the playlist's length and their placement) can work, but exceeding that might make your playlist feel odd to others.
Imagine a "best pop" playlist with 30 songs from Rihanna and a few by others. One might think it should be called "Best of Rihanna & Friends" instead.
Playlist length
A normal music consumer listens to around 50 3-minute songs per day.
So, the likelihood that someone is hearing all of the music on your list is extremely unlikely, even if your playlist is that short. Keep your playlist concise and focused, aiming for around 60-80 songs. This way, most songs will get the attention they deserve.
Regarding the duration of time in the playlist (= how long a song remains on your list), we recommend aiming for at least 1 month. The longer the duration, the more listeners each track will likely gain. If you're a curator on SubmitHub, more listens-per-track means more submissions (as it means artists will be happier with shares by you).
If you’re struggling to keep the playlist to below 100 songs, you might need to consider:
a) clearing out longstanding tracks,
b) being more picky with your curation,
c) giving up and moving to Alaska to fish for salmon.
Visuals
An appealing playlist cover art is actually quite important. Whether you're sharing the playlist on social media or in a message, attractive imagery can make all of the difference. Conversely, a generic or cheap-looking one can discourage potential followers. Use a free-to-use picture, whether it's yours or a stock one, that is on point and feels professional. Try to stand out by playing with colors, fonts, or hone in on details of the picture that reflect the playlist's vibe.
If unsure, always aim for simpler – a simple, clean, punchy picture feels more professional.
Good to know: Avoid incorporating the Spotify logo into the playlist's artwork. While not officially confirmed, there have been instances where playlists using the copyrighted Spotify logo were taken down. We strongly recommend against using it. If you really want something in that left top corner, design your own circular logo. This way, it can evoke the feel of Spotify's playlists without infringing on their copyright. The same goes for using photos that you don’t have the rights to use. In those cases, takedowns might come with an emailed lawyer's note.
Listen to your playlist
The best way to make sure your playlist is banging is to listen to it. And make sure to do so regularly. The more you listen, the more you’ll sense which songs could be removed, moved around, and added to the list.
Make use of social media
The best way to attract initial listeners and followers is through social media. Use Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter to spread the word about your new playlist, emphasizing what makes it unique. One idea is to share facts, like how creating this playlist was inspired by finishing your favorite series or that you’re beginning your career as a professional weight lifter, and these are your workout tunes.
Reddit, with its various playlist and music promotion subreddits, is excellent for sharing your playlist. There, you can provide reminders and highlight interesting aspects about or new additions to your curation. Take some time to find the right communities that match your style.
Good to know: Use link shorteners! Even in an Instagram post, where the link is not clickable, you can say, "go follow it at tinyurl.com/bestpop" (which is easier to retype, compared to https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2SG0Bvmp7nEB6eDPfRWymr).
Another useful thing to remember is that consistent reminders about the playlist are really important. Don't share it once, and assume it will gain traction in a week. Create posts or stories with link stickers based on new contexts – seasons, weather, time of day, or holidays. Highlight new additions, run polls about what to add next, and remind followers where to submit (with a SubmitHub link 😉)...
Leverage Meta ads
It might seem like a significant investment, but in a world saturated with playlists, advertising is (almost always) essential for playlist growth. Use Meta's advertising platform to promote your playlist to a targeted audience effectively. It's not money wasted because, with an engaged, high-quality playlist, you can eventually become a curator and charge a small fee for considering music, potentially covering the ad costs. There’s an added incentive if you’ve got some of your own music in the playlist :)
Ideally, your ad creative should be a video. Ensure it's engaging, short, and in a square, 3:4, and/or vertical format. There should be sound with the video corresponding to your playlist's theme and content.
Experiment with a variety of ad creatives, sounds, and targeting options. Testing with more variables will lead to greater efficiency, ie. costing you less per playlist listener/follower. Try stock videos, footage of you scrolling through the playlist, a simple video of the album cover with a static effect or noise, AI-generated content… There's a lot to test, but it doesn't have to be too complicated. Similarly, test out multiple description and headline options in your ad, as you don't know which will work (so you need to try).
Create a dedicated landing page to measure conversions instead of opting for the Traffic goal, which has proven to be less effective. If you're unfamiliar with landing pages, they are standalone web pages designed explicitly for an advertising campaign.
These pages are where users "land" after clicking on an ad, providing them with additional information or simply featuring a button guiding the visitor to a specific destination.
While it may seem like an unnecessary step, it is crucial for one particular aspect in this case – measuring conversions, leading to the optimization of your campaign. Meta (and similar platforms) ads don't perform as well without them (when focusing solely on the Traffic goal with no landing page), and we strongly recommend measuring your conversions if you decide to advertise.
Regarding the optimal ad spend, consider starting with *at least* 2 USD per day (optimally, 4-5 US/day), a sum you can quickly recoup if you're a playlister. Once you have identified which ad variations work best, adjust your budget accordingly by allocating more to effective strategies and pausing or modifying less effective ones.
Good to know: Real results usually only manifest after 1-2 weeks of advertising. So, don’t lose hope after the first day or two. The same goes for making decisions about your ad variations. Avoid quick judgments about the effectiveness of a particular image or headline, rather check regularly and decide after a week at the earliest.
While there are other platforms for ads, such as Reddit, TikTok, and Snapchat, based on our experience, Meta ads, when well-crafted and regularly adjusted, seem to be the most cost-effective, for now… It's up to you, depending on your budget, to try different things and learn what works best for you and your playlist.
Engage with (potential) listeners: Respond to comments, answer questions, and foster a sense of community around your playlist rather than solely promoting it. The more active you are on social media or elsewhere, the more genuine and natural exposure your playlist can gain.
Stay updated on trends, or in other words, keep discovering and incorporating new music. While a playlist can work with the same songs for many years, refreshing it and making subtle changes while staying true to its vibe will maintain relevance and encourage people to come back for more.
Beware of payola practices: Asking for money for placement in a playlist is against Spotify rules, and your playlist may be removed from Spotify for such a thing. We've even heard of cases where a Spotify playlist was taken down due to a Ko-fi link in the description, so exercise caution. If you ever plan to curate on SubmitHub as well, be aware that we do not tolerate any form of payola.
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We hope some of the insights have been helpful in starting and maintaining your playlist. Playlist curation requires dedication, creativity, and time (as well as some investment), but it can significantly benefit your artist profile, blog, or label, amongst others. You'll not only attract listeners and new connections but also create something that stands out in the competitive world of music streaming.